Could also be that one or more cables are missing/broken and now one of the other pads havs worn down.Xac wrote: He said the feed cables do tend to get severed, which they do, he didn't say that your cables would be severed.
He also said that it sounds like your pads have had it and need changing, and your light has come on, suggesting that your pads have worn down and need changing.
TBH when I started (on BXs) I'd never heard of a rewind tool and we didn't have the internet to suggest such fanciful things.
BOL suggested a square bar and a big screwdiver, I didn't have a square bar so I made do.
I don't remember it taking all that long to wind them back and it's not a job you do that often anyway if you just have one or two cars to look after.
Only special tools I ever got were a sump plug key and a balljoint splitter. My sphere removal tool was a ruddy great chain wrench which my dad had from his days fitting pipes in oil refineries.